trans_9 | It's The Final Countdown

The fact that they still had a 'next move' was something, especially in the face of that thing. When he answered, there was a lot of noise in the background, as Leon was helping to guide as many people back behind the shields as possible.

"Go ahead!"

"The firewurm is resisting all attacks, even from our ships in orbit!" Kasna yelled over the din. "We've determined it's even shielded from probability alteration--what you might call magic. However, there are Ohm crawling all over its surface and in and out of range of it. We've determined that they're not broadcasting any sort of signal to allow them within the shields--it's their size and their makeup! Smaller organic objects can get through! The problem is sending something small, organic, and powerful enough to destroy it!"

This was the part that he dreaded asking.

"We could manage to provide a radiation shield--our engineers have one that's almost completed that could potentially block the strange otherdimensional radiation the firewurm is charging with. It should last as long as the fifteen minutes it will take to recharge its canon--after which, we're all doomed anyway. I dread asking you this, given the radiation, given the odds, but is there anyone among your crew powerful enough to destroy the firewurm on their own?"

That sounded like a goddamn suicide run! And as much as Leon wanted to reject it off hand, considering the countdown to what the hell was about to happen, he didn't see any better option.

"I have one person who could pull this off," and god-willing, survive it. "Have someone bring me the shield, I'll give it to them myself." He owed this person that much for what he was about to order them to do. "In the meantime, keep working on trying to find another way!" They still had fifteen minutes to pull off a miracle, one way or another.

As Kasna sent one of his men off to bring the shield, someone who'd been nearby overhead.

"Captain Kennedy." a voice called out. Descending from the sky, almost like a bird, was Superman, clearly weary from the fight, but still filled with enough energy to keep going.

"I heard the conversation. Let me handle this." Brief, blunt and to the point. No need to mingle words here.

Leon looked at Superman, as serious an expression as he always wore, then glanced up towards the firewurm. Before he could respond, one of Kansa's assistants came running in with the shield generator. Leon took it, and glanced at it briefly.

"We got about fourteen minutes left, and only one shot at this." He looked back at Kal-El. "This looks like a job for Superman." Really, who else was he going to ask?

There was almost a ghost of a smile there, but it quickly disappeared under the gravity of the circumstances. He held out the radiation shield. "You'll be on your own. Your orders are to do everything within your power to stop that damn thing and save these people. Do you understand?"

"I understand completely." Superman said, taking the device. "Don't worry, I'll make sure that thing is shut down." No pressure on his part, no sirree.

Attaching the device to his person, he looked back at Leon and held out his hand. "If anything goes wrong, well... it was a pleasure working with you, Captain."

Even if everything went right, Kal's odds of survival were nanoscopic at best. Still, it was considered bad luck to act as if this was going to be the last time they'd ever talk to each other, no matter how likely that was to be the case. Even the smallest sliver of hope was better than none at all.

"I'll buy you a drink when this is over," he stated, shaking Kal's hand. "Godspeed, Kal-El."

Returning the shake, the Kryptonian gave the captain a curt nod before releasing his grip, then moving out to face destiny. To face this, he would need every last bit of strength. It was too bad he could get help, but it didn't matter - it was better that he went at it alone.

No, it wasn't, at least as far as two individuals were concerned.

Someone snagged him by the cape with his good hand.

"Kal, you can't--" The pleading was fast and frantic. There wasn't much time, after all. "Let me go instead! I can use my TTK to take it apart, I'm just as resistant to radiation as you, I heal nearly as fast--"

As Kon did that, Kara was in front of Kal, a pleading expression on her face. "Kal, let me go," she said. "Please. I'm just as strong as you, if not more, though I'd like to think I'm faster, and this is what Supergirls do - we save the world and the ones we love--"

"--and Superboys actually have experience doing the save-the-world thing. I can do this! Neither of you have to go--"

Superboy flew around in front of Kal, next to Kara.

"Someday our world's going to be back and that world needs Superman! The ship needs Superman!"

That blue-eyed gaze, so like Kal's own, was intense, pleading.

"So have I, Kon. You, of all people, should know that." Kal said. A brief moment before he made a move: reaching back, he removed his cape and handed it to Superboy.

"You're right, Kon. The world and the ship needs Superman." he said. "If I don't come back, it's up to you to be Superman. No questions asked. We've both been given second chances. But, your time hasn't come. Neither of yours."

The way he said it made it sound of pure finality. Don't follow, don't question his orders. Stay here.

Kara tried to blink back her tears, but just this once, they were stronger than she was.

So, she did the next best thing.

She willed heat vision to her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kal," she apologized as she let loose with the heat vision - - and a superpunch.

Tears had brimmed in his eyes as Kal handed him his cape. Kon had to drop it to go for the radiation shield, since he only had the one hand.

"Sorry, Kal," Kon said at the same time as Kara.

With any luck, Kara would have her hands full with Kal while he could grab it and book it.

It was a suicide mission. They all knew it was.

But neither of them was going to die on his watch. He wouldn't let that happen. He'd died once already--he wasn't afraid to do it for good this time.

Edited 2011-08-23 06:39 (UTC)

Unfortunately for the both of them, while they were quick, he was quicker. Almost too fast for anyone with normal eyes, Kal had evaded Kara's heat vision blast and moved to strike down his cousins. Not too hard; they'd probably waken before the time was up.

While both of them were willing to lay down their lives to protect Kal, he couldn't let them do that. They still had plenty of their lives left to live. He refused to see another young life slip away, especially after the close call with Cassie.

"I'm sorry, you two. But, there's no other way." Kal said, hovering up. Turning to face the barrier, a determined look formed on his face. "Now, the Ohm get theirs!"

And he was off. Faster than a speeding bullet.

One moment, the Girl of Steel was seeing red. The next, everything was black.

Unconscious, Kara fell down towards the ground, her cape flaring out at her sides as though it were a too-thin firefighter's trampoline that was unable to hold her weight.

The world went dark so quickly that Kal-El's cape hadn't even finished its long, fluttering fall to the ground yet.

Superboy fell into it, dragging it down to the ground with him, where it flared out underneath him. To anyone that looked at the unconscious super in the dirt, the swath of red cloth he was lying on had the deceptive appearance of looking like it actually belonged to him.

Edited 2011-08-23 10:34 (UTC)

He had seen what had occurred, noticed what was happening too quickly to do anything but rush to the impact site as quickly as he could. He had seen the argument, and considering the fact that Superman had taken off so quickly, he could guess the cause. Could guess what Conner had wanted and been denied.

"Thank you for my son." The words were soft, whispered to the streak of light. Conner's hearing was better than any human could dream of, but he wasn't sure if Superman could hear his heartfelt thanks as he rushed to the girl, checking her pulse and making sure she was only unconscious. Not hurt, not dead. Not swallowed up by the monster above them. She would be fine. He ran the scanner over her, checking for broken bones or fractures. Making himself check her first, not Conner. As much as his heart was with Conner at the moment. He needed to see to her first. It was only right. He lifted her carefully after he was certain she wasn't injured, carrying her closer to Conner. He had a feeling he'd need to keep an eye on both of them, when they woke.

He moved the few steps to Conner's side, face calm as he scanned him. Only unconscious. That was all. He'd be awake far too quickly. He'd have to plan, to think about what he could do to prevent Conner from following. "Conner. Conner, wake up. We need to get out of here. It's not safe to stay. Wake up Conner."

The blackness that had enveloped Kara slowly parted, and consciousness seeped back into her. Rao, that hurt. Kal just...Kal. Kara's eyes snapped open and she shot straight up into a sitting position, her eyes wide with fear. "Kal!" She gasped. "Kal! What the hell!" Her eyes flared red with the threat of heat vision. She looked down, then, and saw that Kon was still unconscious. She looked at the man next to Conner and said, "What - is he okay?"

Kon groaned and then woke up himself, looking dazed at first and then he sat up so quickly he nearly knocked his head into Rory's.

"Kal! Kara, where is he?!"

He immediately climbed to his feet and floated into the air.

"Conner." Rory kept his tone firm, rolling to his feet in a single, unconscious movement, hand lose at his side. "He's fine, or he will be. Both of you sit down." Two super-powered children and both of them likely to jet off after Superman, uncaring of the fact that it would result in them getting killed as well and accomplish nothing but their deaths.

Heroes, they all died too young and in a blaze of glory. Not this time.

"Sit back down, you might have a concussion. I wasn't finished scanning." There was no room for argument in his tone, and he gave Kara an equally stern look. They both needed to sit and be still, because if he let them move, there might be three funerals once he got back to the ship.

Not his son, not this girl. Not today.

Kara glared at Rory. She'd never really been one to back down in the face of authority - a lesson that Kal and Bruce had both learned fairly well early on. In a world where you had essentially won the superpower lottery, you usually made your own room for an argument. "The last thing Kal would give either of us is a concussion," she snapped. "And really? Scanning? You sound just like someone I used to know." She turned to Kon and gave him the once-over with her X-Ray vision. "He's fine. Now if you'll excuse us -" she grabbed Kon by the hand and prepared to take off after Kal.

Kon looked back over his shoulder at Rory, pausing just long enough to talk to him. He owed him that much.

"We have to help him," he said, pleading for Rory to understand. "Even Kal can't--even he--not against these odds."

"The last thing Kal would want is for either of you to follow him, Kara. It takes a lot of courage to face what he is, and he knew the odds. You have to know that. His last decision, the last thing he did for himself, not as a superhero but as a man, was make absolutely certain the two of you would be safe. To follow him would needlessly and recklessly disregard his choice and his desire to protect the two of you." They were both more powerful than him, he was only human, mortal. Easy to break and easier to cast aside. Stregnth wise, he could do nothing. He couldn't put them out like Superman had. But he had words, not the best ones, not ones the Doctor might have chosen when faced with two super powered teenagers determined to die.

"You will be helping him, you will be doing exactly what he wants. For you and everyone on the ship. You will be living, you will be carrying his legacy." He bent, scooping up the tangle of fabric from the ground. "That is the greatest help you can be to anyone. Following him won't help him, he's made his choice. I know Conner, I do. I understand. But there comes a day when every person makes their last stand. Today isn't yours. He didn't want it to be yours. Or yours, Kara. He wanted to preserve his family, and that, I think, is one of the most heroic things he could do." He held out the cape, eyes sympathetic, but face stern. "He made his choice, Conner. Respect that and don't try to throw your life away to spite him."

It's The Final Countdown

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